Recipe: Tuna with baby spinach (one of my top favorites)

It's so easy to prepare and it takes very little time.  In just minutes you'll be enjoying a yummy healthy snack or meal (depending on portion).

5oz
Solid white tuna, packed in water. 

Baby spinach

Sea salt

Black pepper

Green olives

Lime or Lemon (optional)

What I like about this quick meal, besides the fact that I LOVE tuna, there are so many different ways to enjoy it.  Add your favorite

Recipe: Sausage and Cabbage Delight

During our [4 day] Whole30 experience we searched for new and healthy recipes.  My first stop was definitely Whole Family Strong and here is one of our favs!

Sausage and Cabbage Delight:

(I added 'baby spinach' in this batch)

Recipe: Spaghetti Squash.w/ Meat Sauce

I have been hearing a lot about Spaghetti Squash, especially since changing up our eating habits.

We had purchased a spaghetti squash during our Whole30 and tonight was the lucky night!

I wasn't sure how time consuming it was, I kept thinking "oh, I'll just make pasta tonight -as long as we don't eat it often it should be fine... The spaghetti squash seems so difficult!  I'll just try making it another time..." But it kept bugging me, the thought of feeding my family pasta after how well we've been doing.  So I sucked it up and thought "okay, I'll try it. If it becomes too messy or too annoying, I'll just boil some pasta. It won't take that long anyway..."

I threw the ingredients together for my meat sauce:

1 lb lean ground beef 

1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes

1 small onion (slice or chopped. We love cooked onion so I like chunky pieces or even thick slices)

2 tsp minced garlic (or approximately 3-4 garlic cloves)

2-3 tomatoes, again, sliced or chopped to preference (I leave mine chunky to give more texture)

3 handfuls if baby spinach leaves

2 handfuls of sliced mushrooms

*optional: shredded carrots

1/2 tsp sea salt

1tsp Sage

1tsp Italian seasoning (the one I have is a mixture of marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano, and basil)

1/4 tsp paprika (or something spicier if you like a good 'kick')

I ground the beef, on a medium-high heat, with 2tsp coconut oil, and the onions and garlic. Then I add the veggies and toss it around. I add the spices and mix it around a bit. I add the crushed tomatoes last.  Once it starts to bubble just a bit, I lower the heat to a high-simmer, cover and leave the heat on for approximately 15 mins (until everything is tender and heated all the way. It normally starts to bubble again right around the 15 mins.).

I had already prepped my spaghetti squash last night, I thought to make it for yesterday's dinner. One of my favorite blogs, for Paleo recipes, right now is Nom Nom Paleo. I followed her directions for Spaghetti Squash.  Mine needed extra cooking time but turned out great!  And even though I really had no idea what I was doing, we were able to sit down and enjoy spaghetti squash, topped with meat sauce. (Although, will someone please tell me if it's normal for it to have a slight "crunch" to it... I enjoyed the crunch! Haha. I hope I got it right.)

I really enjoyed it!  But Chris only ate half of his serving, saying it was "good" but it was "different".  Hm...  And Kj didn't get to taste it tonight (she's getting over a stomach bug tonight).

It's definitely something I look forward to eating again and it sure filled my 'spaghetti' craving!

What we learned from our W̶h̶o̶l̶e̶3̶0̶ "Whole4" challenge.

It's not for everyone.  Plain and simple.

(I could just end the blog at this...haha)

1. Setting healthy goals, as a family, is very important!

2.  We are very capable of controlling our out-of-control cravings.

3.  I can Not spread myself too thin and stay sane (and still produce enough milk for Liam).

4.  Meal and snack planning/prepping really does help control crazy "eat whatever is in sight because I'm starving NOW!" habits.

5.  Grocery shopping is much more tedious and time consuming when you don't feel like eating only chicken and veggies.


With that said, Yes, we stopped our Whole30 challenge.  Basically I stopped and now Chris feels relieved to eat some yummy "yuck" food without too much guilt.  haha!

Okay.  So, we were really mentally ready to do this challenge.  However, I was not physically prepared for everything that came with such a challenge. 

I was literally in the kitchen from the time I woke, until around 4am, sometimes even5am, serving food, cooking dinner, breakfast, and lunch for the next day (so Chris could have it ready to take to work), pre-serving snacks, prepping whatever I could for the next day's dinner, and then cleaning everything up!  Of course, I was still Breastfeeding Elly and bottle feeding Liam, and pumping once in the morning and once at night, doing the daily diaper laundry and trying to help Kj stay on top of her school work... And then trying to keep up with pesky housework and all the other laundry.  (Many, many, kudos to other twin mommas who have already found their "balance".  One day... I believe it will happen for me.)

Chris ended up havining to go to the store several times during the week because I was not used to preparing meat and veggies only. (We ran out of food a lot faster since there were no "filler" [junk] foods being served.  Imagine that! Ha!)  So we blew right through our weekly grocery budget.  

My body was crashing... Slowly. By Thursday ('Day 1' was on Monday), I wasn't even sure if I'd be able to get out of bed because my body hurt so badly from being on my feet all day and juggling everything by myself, 4 days in a row, with only a maximum of 4 hrs of sleep each night. (Before The Whole30, I'd cook on some days and on other days, when I was just too mentally and physically exhausted, Chris would bring home food.)

So, the budget:  we could have sucked it up and eaten chicken and veggies for the rest of our challenge. But then I'm sure we'd miss the whole point of learning how to ENJOY healthy foods. 

The physical and mental exhaustion I was fighting: I could have sucked it up and pushed through.  Chris and I had talked, and I expressed how I really needed him to pitch in even more than usual. BUT he was already pitching in from the time he got out of work until he just couldn't stay awake (around 10pm/12am. He wakes up at five-something in the mornings, to be at work by 6:30am).  I weighed the options... "Push through it to see whatever results I get and know I fought hard to "finish".  But be mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted every day for the next 26 days?!  I couldn't even imagine it!  I felt I'd miss out on these precious moments with my babies!  I felt that there had to be a better way to get healthy, stay sane, and make precious memories with my children.  Getting healthy with what I put in my body should never take away from being mentally and emotionally healthy, right?  I started to see that, as I had been in prayer about whether to continue the challenge or not. 

I don't like to "quit" anything. I LOVE a good challenge.  So this was really bugging me. I didn't want to "quit"!  

The deciding factor for me was when I was only able to pump 6oz of milk Thursday morning, before I went to bed.  

God has been amazing in allowing me to provide more than enough milk for Liam. Now, it took much prayer and some serious hard work and determination!  I re-started my "exclusively pumping" journey on July 14, and started with 10oz, for the entire day, pumping 3x.  Then it went to 13oz and eventually hit 20oz, as I pumped 4 and 5 times in a day.  By mid-August, I had days when I would pump as many as 8 times, getting a daily total of 39oz of milk!  I was pumping and storing as much as I possibly could.  By the end of August I was pumping as much as 43oz in a day, with pumping 4-5x.  I was beyond happy and thankful to God.  It only got better, still!  In early September I was able to pump 52oz in one day, with only pumping 4x!!  Praise God, right?!  By mid-September I started to only pump once when I'd wake up and once before I'd go to sleep.  That routine was giving me 30-38oz of milk, daily.  I had FINALLY gotten into a GREAT pumping schedule (allowing me to continue to store milk (I currently have over 500oz in the deep freezer) for the future AND still provide his daily intake).  I was no longer being "milked" all day, between nursing and pumping.  I finally felt like I could breathe and enjoy my babies and my days!  And then I started The Whole30 challenge...

Monday, Whole30 Day 1:  27.5oz

Whole30 Day 2:  21oz

Whole30 Day 3:  16.5oz (rethinking the Whole30 challenge)

Whole30 Day 4:  19.2oz (ooh! Maybe it's getting better!!  Although, I was extremely concerned about my supply when Elly was needing to nurse every hour and a half to two hours!  Her "norm" is between three and three and a half hours, sometimes four!  And I never really felt a full "let-down" like I was used to feeling throughout the day.)

Friday, Day 5:  8oz (I really can't chance loosing my milk supply anymore! I ate a bowl of oatmeal to help my supply but everything else stayed "Whole30 approved".  I know I was already off of it since I ate the oatmeal, but I already had all the right foods available, so why not continue what I CAN?! )

Saturday:  8.5oz (yikes!  Come on milk!!)

Sunday:  23oz!!! (18oz was from my morning pump session!! Oh praise God, things are finally getting back to "normal"!!  AND Elly had more milk than she could even drink throughout the day!! I'll take engorgement pain all over again, if it means I can provide my babies with more than enough milk!!)

So that was the main factor for me. I could NOT stand the thought of either loosing my milk supply (which, by searching online, I realized that it has, unfortunately, been quite common for some mommas, when starting The Whole30), or even having to go back to pumping every 2-3 hours a day, on top of nursing Elly.  Those days were rough and exhausting (I was already beyond exhausted... I had to know my limits --not push past them!)

I did what I felt was best. I prayed and prayed about how to go about getting off of The Whole30 because it wasn't just me, it was KJ too!  She had done an amazing job!!  I didn't want to give her the wrong idea of how to handle "goals".  So, I sat with KJ and discussed how trying to be healthy in one area should never cause you to be unhealthy in other areas -there needs to be a balance.  Surprisingly, she was sad that we weren't going to continue the Whole30 as a family. Turns out that she loves family challenges too!  :)

That night, over our pre-cooked, "Whole30 approved" meal, we discussed how we could balance out some new goals, "challenges", for our family.  We also discussed how we can all pitch in a little more so Mom doesn't carry the entire load of "keeping the family healthy".  

This is what we came up with:

We are still amped to make a conscious effort, daily, to be healthy, together. It feels great to have found something that works for our family right now.  We definitely learned a lot in those four days. We are using that knowledge daily and working towards our new goals, as we continue to cheer on my mom and sis, now on Day8 of their Whole30! :)

So, here's to finding the right balance for your family...

Week 29: Butternut Squash and Dessert

How far along?

29 weeks on 4/18/13

How big are the twinkies?

According to Parents, the babies are approximately the size of a butternut squash.

*Our most recent scan, on 4/16, showed that baby girl weighs approximately 3.7 lbs and baby boy weighs approximately 3.3 lbs.

How am I feeling?

Large and exhausted.  I'm pretty much always sleepy now.

Weight?

+24
(didn't change -yet.)

What do I miss?
I am definitely missing having more energy.  Still, in my head, I'd love to get up to do a number of things around the house and out and about.  However, my body just wants to sit back and rest.  

Symptoms?
Nausea and no appetite creep back here and there.  Restless/sleepless nights.  Annoying endo.  Some very mild swelling has started showing up (but I'm so happy I can still wear my wedding rings!).  Is outgrowing my clothes (again) a symptom?! —oh and new stretch marks.

Cravings?

dessert items. Chick-fil-a.  nuts (walnuts, almonds, pistachios, etc).  Milk.

Highlights of the week?
I had a prenatal appointment with my midwife.  Everything is going well.  :)

I got to see our babies, at our specialist appointment.  I was only able to get a photo of baby girl because baby boy was not cooperating during the scan.  Also, the sono tech complimented me very nicely.  She said that she always enjoys when I go in because I am always so happy and in such a great mood.  It sure made my day! :)  Everything went really well at that appointment also.  Praise God!  I couldn't be happier about how everything is going!!

I took a trip to Austin, to visit my sis and her family.  I haven't done that in a very long time.  Driving the whole way was tougher than I expected.  I'm used to Chris doing the long distance drives right now.  By the time I arrived to her house, I was ready for a nap!  —but me oh my, I had my fill of the yummiest homemade veggie pizza.  I really hope that my pizza cravings are done.  haha

On the way back home, KJ and I enjoyed some quality time.  It really was nice to be able to do something like that.  :)

KJ acting like a horse for her cousins, during our Austin trip.

Belly watch:

Week 24: Cantaloupes and Endo

How far along?

24 weeks on 3/13/13
(6 months!)

How big are the twinkies?

According to The Bump, the babies are approximately the size of:

According to Parents, the babies are approximately the size of and ear of corn.  We should find out on Wednesday, March 20, an approximate size or weight —we have another appointment with the perinatologist.

How am I feeling?

I've still been feeling really great!  I absolutely love every single movement I feel (which has been a LOT lately).  I'm in love with my baby belly (although really scared of what it will look like after the babies arrive. lol!).  So, this week, I've felt GREAT! 

Weight?

+15

(SLOW DOWWWWNNN!!!)

 I'd love to think it's the babies growing and growing away.  However, I can't really help but think that I give in to waaaay too many junky yummy foods.

What do I miss?
I miss having my emotions under control.  Things change out of nowhere! And it's really tough, sometimes, to sift through everything and level things out again.
I miss "me" time.  Somehow, I think I got more "me" time before this pregnancy.  I don't know how because I was working at home and still homeschooling.  So, I don't see how I had anytime for "me" time.  Although, now, I feel like I have absolutely none.   
*Maybe it's that I'm making more of an effort to not tell KJ "mommy needs quiet time"; which normally got her to go play up in her room.  I'm trying to get as much mommy and KJ time as I can right now.  I don't want her memories of 'before babies' to be of mom always sending her to play in her room.
I really need to find a healthy, sane, balance —ASAP.

Symptoms?
Serious indigestion, heartburn, and acid reflux.  I've also noticed nausea creeping back in.  But I'm pretty sure it has more to do with the fact that baby girl is all up in my stomach area.  She bumps, kicks, and wiggles against my stomach and it causes all this crazy stuff to happen.  (have you ever had a belly full of water/liquid and jumped around or wiggled too much?  You know that sloshing feeling?  Yeah, that's what I feel, after I eat, with every movement she makes.  And I know I need readjust the amount I'm eating —again.  I need to eat less of a serving at once, now that babies are taking up more space.
The hip pain I I've been experiencing during sleep time is now creeping in to my waking hours.  :(  But I do manage to push through the pain, for now, because I don't want it to stop me from doing the little bit that I can.

Endo has been flaring up the most this week.  Very similar to what it was like before I was pregnant.  The pain just comes out of nowhere.  :(  No warning.  No cause.  Just horrible stabbing pain —in the same 'ol areas.  (I use those moments to focus on what I'm feeling and remind myself that I can get through that pain —just as I have done for so many years . . . like it's some kind of training, preparing me for my birth goals.)  I also remind myself that battling endometriosis, while pregnant, feels so much more worth it.  Like a big nasty slap in Endo's face. ;) hee hee!  Take THAT endo!

Cravings?

Sushi.  Pizza.  Milkshakes and fries (yes, together!).

*Why can't it be carrots, broccoli, and other healthy foods?!

Highlights of the week?

I survived a [short] trip to Sea World.  I never thought I'd be able to handle the walking... but I did!  Thanks to a great friend and her two kiddos. :)  Between feedings, snack time, diaper changes, potty breaks (mine included), nap time, kiddie-ride time, etc., there was plenty of "rest time".  It was the perfect way to survive Sea World!

Chris, KJ, and I took another trip to Ikea.  It was a much longer shopping experience than I had imagined and prepared for.  But I survived and we purchased the rest of the nursery furniture.  :)

Chris, being Super-Dad, building more furniture for the twinkies' room!

What we were doing while daddy built furniture.  :)

We had our very first prenatal appointment with Midwife R.  It was perfect and amazing!  

(look for the blog post [coming soon] to get more details.) 

Feeling the positions of the twinkies.

Belly watch:

IVF #1, Day 14: 1 day post egg retrieval

We aren't even at the 'two week wait' and today was seriously one of the longest days I've had in a long while.

I couldn't sleep last night; so I stayed up watching Battleship.  I probably fell asleep around 2/2:30am.  I thought I was going to sleep in, from being so tired.  Instead, I was up to the bathroom, to tinkle, twice an hour from 11pm to 3am.  Then it slowed down to once every hour until around 7am.  I had NO idea I would be up, tinkling all night long!  However, I didn't have any choice because a full bladder makes for horrible endo pain.  So I teeter-tottered in the dark, very carefully, across my room many, many, times . . . and didn't get sleep —no big deal; I just wasn't expecting such an eventful night.

I opened my eyes at 8am, to check my phone for the email from the embryologist.  Nothing.  I made sure to turn up my ringer, so that I could hear when a new email came through.  8:23am, "bing!".  There it was, "Your IVF cycle".

Hi Michelle,
How are you feeling today?  Hopefully not too sore.  I just want to give you an update on how things went yesterday.  We collected 9 eggs.  Of those eggs, 7 were what we call mature and were able to be inseminated.  Eggs must reach a certain stage of development in order to be inseminated.  Of those 7, 4 are fertilized.  So you have 4 embryos.  They look great!  I'll contact you again on Sunday to let you know the time of you enbryo transfer on Tuesday.  It will be in the morning sometime.

Honestly, the email made me sad.  I did not expect to drop down from nine to four in one night.  I knew the numbers would drop between retrieval day and transfer day; I just really didn't expect to lose five over night.  I tried to stay positve.  I'm just praying that they survive another fours days.  Please little embryos, make it to our transfer day!

My belly was still sore from yesterday.  My back was another story!  :(  My lower spine, all the way to the end of my tailbone, was so extremely achy, stiff, and causing a lot of problems.  I had been recovering so well —from injuring my back last November (bulging disc, which caused the fluid to  escape, and pushed up against some nerves).  I was able to do normal activity, like brush my teeth, paint my toenails, change my clothes, dry off after shower, etc. with out limitations and pain.  Not today!  I could barely move!  It was soooo extremely painful.  I figured it just had to do with the fact that they had to really push around on my belly to get to my left ovary —it probably put a lot of stress on my lower spine.

On a better note, I'm not peeing every 30 minutes! haha.

Tonight was a great night!  We had my parent's over for "mexican night" (aroz con pollo and pinto beans for dinner and my mom and Chris made leche quemada for dessert).  It was a wonderful time together! ... and then we had to get back to [our] reality —injections.

I had Wednesday night and last night off.  No injections needed.  But tonight, we had to start my progesterone injections.  Chris did a great job, again.  He darted it in like a champ!  And he pushed in the oil nice and slowly —to avoid "the burn".  However, I think, towards the end of emptying out the syringe, Chris must have started to tilt it or something; it felt like it was slanting and digging in my skin.  :(  It burned a bit more than necessary.  KJ watched nervously and held my hand, when she heard that I was in pain from the needle, saying, "It will all be over soon.  I'm right here, mom."  —and we all survived.  ;)

I'm not sure if it's the progesterone or not but I'm sweating like crazy!!!  I got the injection about two and a half hours ago and the hot flashes started about an hour ago.  I'm used to hot flashed from my wacky hormones, before IVF, but these are much more extreme and lasting much longer (similar to when I was on Lupron).  *new side effect, I guess.

Now I'm sitting here, wondering if I should bug the embryologist tomorrow.  I'm anxious to see if we will still have four embryos.  She did say that I could contact her if I had any questions over the weekend... does this question count??

I hope to get a good night's rest —with as little interruptions as possible.  I'm super bloated, but not OHSS bloated.  My back feels a bit better tonight —but my tailbone is still aggravated. 

Oh-so-delicious Tortilla Soup

I made this tortilla soup last week; it was a HUGE favorite! ;)  I received this recipe from one of my sisters, this past summer (she made it and I just couldn't stop telling her how delicious it was!).  I'm so very thankful for such a yummy soup recipe.

~
Tortilla Soup

2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
4 or 5 cloves garlic
1 pablano pepper, seeded and diced - you can also use 1 bell pepper along with 1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and diced
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 or 1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
6 cups chicken stock (or broth)
1-2 chicken breasts
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro
juice of 1 lime


Boil the chicken breast and set aside to cool. When cooled, shred the chicken into bite size pieces.

In a sauce pan, heat the olive oil on med-high. Add the onions, pepper garlic, salt, cumin and coriander for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute and stir. Add the chicken stock and bring to a light boil. When a light boil is achieved, lower to a simmer for 20 minutes stirring from time to time. Add the shredded chicken and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cilantro and lime juice and stir well. remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

Some people like to add some crumbled tortilla chips to the soup when preparing to serve as well as shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Sliced avocado also goes well with it. 
~

ENJOY! :)

Not out of a can? Wow for me! (quick turkey chili)

This is how I made it:
2 tbs cooking oil
2 poblano peppers
1 yellow onion
1 clove garlic
2 lbs ground turkey
2 tbs cumin
6 tbs chili powder
1/2 tbs cayenne pepper
2 tsp salt
3-4 (14oz) cans of tomatoes
2-3 (14oz) cans of kidney beans

(actual recipe I started with:   http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,161,152191-240194,00.html)

heat oil (medium high).  saute the chopped onions, minced garlic, and poblano pepper.

add the meat.  mix it in well, letting the meat cook only slightly, and then add all the seasonings/spices.

add the tomatoes -mix well.

cover and lower to a simmer for approx. 45 mins (I let it cook for 30 mins).

add the beans and cover and let cook for 15 mins.  Then enjoy!

Fish Taco —Fear Factor style

Blugh!!!!

We went to BJ's for lunch/early dinner today.  I ordered a FISH OR GRILLED SHRIMP TACOS (one halibut taco and one shrimp taco).  Chris ordered the PARMESAN CRUSTED CHICKEN .  My father-in-law ordered the  BBQ PULLED PORK SANDWICH . 


I was really enjoying my food until I tasted an onion.  I opened up my tacos and picked out the slices of fresh onion.  Once I gobbled up my entire shrimp taco, I moved on to the fish taco.  I was about three bites into it when I glanced at it, to make sure I wasn't going to bite into an onion, when I see a dead lady bug-like bug in my taco!  I quietly inspect it closely with my fork.  I turned it over and see the belly side, with legs tucked in -from the coleslaw juices.  I see bug guts and no head --but a tail.  I seriously thought that I was going to puke right then and there.  I chugged some water and got Chris to look at it and then go call a manager.


The manager came and inspected it.  After I made  him flip it over, he admits that it is a bug and starts apologizing.  He explains that it must have come in the coleslaw because it's processed somewhere and shipped in . . . blah blah blah.  He says "I know this doesn't make it any better but I can get you something else . . ."


It really took all I had to not get sick right there at the table, while everyone else was still eating.  I just sat there and started crying.  The manager offered just about everything he could think of.  I couldn't even talk --I just kept nodding my head, no, to everything.  I chugged two glasses of water after that.


The server saw how disturbed I was by it and he, too, came to see if there was anything I wanted . . .


After Chris told me that he really wanted me to accept the offer for dessert, I finally let the manager know, after he came AGAIN to apologize and see how I was doing.  Not only did they bring a yummy (I only know from how it smelled --I still have NO appetite!)  PIZOOKIE® TRIO, they took off three of the four meals that were ordered.  (my parents, after I called to tell them I ate a bug, told me that we should have insisted on not having to pay for any of it...) So, what would have been approximately $55 dollars, only came out to $19.95.  We were pleased to see how they handled 'taking care' of the incident --and I joked how I "took one for the team", in order to get a great discount on the food.  ;)


I still can't believe that I had a bug in my taco —and that I actually ate part of it!!!  :(


I was really enjoying the place (it was my first time there) and my food before the whole bug thing . . . I wonder if I'll ever want to go back...


This is what it looked like (minus the head ::BLAGH!!!::)

ah, sweet lullabies

Success!!  Two toddlers are snoozing away.  :)  Took only about 5 mins of hair rubbing and patting.  Phew! :)

I now get my "lunch break" -yummy left overs from dinner last night and cyber surfing (blogging and watching online shows).  Ah, beautiful lullabies . . . please don't weigh my eyelids down...

beeping microwave calls me . . . time to eat!!  :P

All my favorite shows are over . . . now what?!

nap time! :)
I normally catch up on my favorite shows, online, during nap time.  but now that they are over with . . . I have to find something else to do...

I had wanted to post these yesterday -but I got wrapped up with other 'stuff'.  So, I don't know if you are aware that I absolutely LOVE crazy, silly, fun socks!!!  I wear a pair as often as I possibly can -even if they don't match my clothes.  Chris enjoys laughing at them, of course.

this pair is one of my favs.  I don't remember where I got them from . . . but as I was walking from the hard floor to the carpet, a thread got caught on a nail or something.  :(  I tied the threads in a knot, hoping to help them last a bit longer.  lol how ridiculous, I know.  but these are one of my favs...

This is what I seemed to see all day.  Chris made it on Sunday.  It was supposed to be made on Mother's Day -by KJ and Chris.  However, there seems to be a pattern of buying something or prepping something for a gift for me (by Chris and Chris and KJ) and then I either never get it, I get it but it's not complete and never gets completed, I end up just making it myself, and there have also been times that I just keep "reminding" him that I'm still waiting for whatever it is ...

So, 2 weeks went by, after Mother's Day, and I finally got my chocolate cake!!  (I reminded him every chance I got!) It had been on the counter, not made, for one week, and then the second week it was put away in the cupboards.  Once, I got it, I couldn't help but enjoying EVERY bite.  hee hee  ooops . . . I only have a couple more bites left.  However, I do have to mention that I gave Monica about a sixth of the cake on Sunday night.  It sure is delicious!

 These are the Socks of the Day today!  :)


Do YOU have a favorite pair of "fun socks"?

Motherly quality time

I had a very nice mother's day.  Chris, Kryssa, and I spent all day at my parent's house.  My dad was in bed the whole day -due to knee and hip pain  :(

I made yummy orange french toast with homemade orange syrup!, bacon, eggs, and a side of mangos, strawberries, and pineapple.  Oh, I wish I could gobble up fruit right now.

We hung out and munched on some baked goodies.  Then we made chicken taco for dinner --again, YUM!!!

After dinner, we played monopoly.  Tons-o-fun.  :)  KJ won with over $14,000!

I came home to catch up on all the housework -preparing for work the next day . . . only to get a bitter sweet voicemail that the baby is sick still and won't be coming.  So, I was surprised with a day off -again.  It got me all excited because I knew I could stay up late!! hee hee

sweet and salty

ahhh, breakfast. Toasted peanut butter and jelly sandwich, white chocolate mocha coffee, and little round tortilla chips on the side.

lol.
yup!

I must get ready for work now . . . another day, another 60 kids to impact --one smile at a time. (God willing, I have enough kindness and patience to keep it going all day. That's my goal for today -pure kindness, all day long.)

I'll let you know how it goes...

My hands smell soooo good!

The cheesecake is in the oven now . . . my hands have the lingering scent of 'Seattle's Best' Chocolate Toffee flavored coffee -Mmm! --and cocoa.
It has been a strange morning . . . I'm not used to being all alone in the house -it's a little akward.  I have this feeling of "I have to go wake Kryssa up now."  But then I remember, "Oh, no I don't.  She's not here."   I miss her; even last night, as we were laying in bed, I kept on telling Chris, "I don't know how I'm going to handle our TEN day vacation (we leave in 5 days!) if I am missing her tonight --I'm with her all the time; I shouldn't be missing her over one night . . . I should be okay . . . ".  But it was not planned for her to stay the night and I was about 5 mins away when my mom called to say that Kryssa was asleep and I could just leave her there --they'll take her to Austin too.  So, I was really looking forward to hearing "Mommy!  Hi Mommy!" --she's always super excited when I pick her up.  So, that's probably why I've missed her the way I have -my heart was left waiting for her little smile and tiny voice to say "Mommy!" . . . I'm anxious to get to Austin and see her!! hee hee  Only 5 more hours!!! LoL.
Now, don't get me wrong; I AM ENJOYING THIS TIME!!!  She is one big ball of energy and a determined little 'explorer' --so, this is a wonderful, amazing, well needed, alone time.
So, I will drive to Austin all alone . . . I haven't done that since . . . hmmm . . . before I was marriend ('02) -maybe sometime when I was pregnant ('04)(although, I doubt I drove to Austin alone, while pregnant!) . . . .? --Either way, it's still been yeeears.
It's going to be a nice quite day!! YAY!! :D

Oh, my hands smell so yummy . . . I just hope the cheesecake turns out to taste as yummy as my hands smell.  Ha ha, I hope this smell stays stuck on my skin all day --it's like walking down the coffee isle . . . Mmmm . . . .

Straight from the cookie

"Do not give up; the beginning is always the hardest.", is what the fortune, in my fortune cookie, said.  Then the back side said "Boy" -ha ha ha; We really would love to have a little boy . . .

I know it's just a silly little fortune cookie but I still enjoyed that little message.

I should know better

Okay, so I have had several blogs about Kryssa getting into my purse and eating up all my gum.  Well, once again . . .
She came over to me all happy.  One hand full of white stuff and the other full of crumpled up paper.  She came to me and said "Here mommy.  That's trash."  So, as she placed it all in my palm, I realize that the crumpled paper is about 8 empty gum wrappers!  The other hand had all the 8 unwrapped pieces of gum -well, minus how ever many she was smacking, loudly, in her mouth.  So, she took off running when she realized that I was going to take them away from her.  She calmly said, "okay, mommy, a Syssa get TWO gums."  I told her that since she already had gum in her mouth that we would have to put the others away for "later".  She cried a bit and she actually just looked too cute.  She was smacking her gum wearing a sticker on her forehead!!  lol, What a "kid" moment.
So, I took a pic of her just for the funny little memory . . . (pic no longer available)